Flexcar and TerraPass Take the Carbon Out of Car-Sharing

WASHINGTON--Flexcar (www.flexcar.com) has
already effectively removed thousands of cars from the roads and
reduced
millions of pounds of carbon emissions from the air. So how does
Flexcar
make its leading national network even better and “cooler”?
By increasing the number of hybrid vehicles and partnering with
TerraPass (www.terrapass.com),
the leading provider of carbon offsets for individual consumers, to
balance the entire carbon footprint of its fleet.

Flexcar has partnered with TerraPass to create a new type of
membership
-- the Green Membership -- to allow its members to balance the
emissions
from their Flexcar usage. The option, which costs $9.95 per year (in
addition to the regular $35 annual Flexcar membership fee),
effectively
reduces one ton of carbon emissions for each Green Membership.

“Flexcar’s
Green
Membership is a new way for Flexcar and our members to extend our
commitment to leading environmental stewardship,”
said Mark Norman, Flexcar’s CEO. “Now,
in addition to driving environmentally friendly vehicles, like
hybrids,
our members can effectively balance the impact of all of their
Flexcar
trips.”

TerraPass will use the funds to sponsor clean energy projects that
are
certified to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All TerraPass purchases
are verified by an independent third-party auditor, the non-profit
Center for Resource Solutions. The Green Membership will also include
supplementary benefits in the future, including discounts with some
of
Flexcar’s environmentally progressive
partners.

“Flexcar’s
members
are already making a considerable contribution to the health of our
planet,” said Tom Arnold, founder and
chief
environmental officer of TerraPass. “With
Flexcar’s Green Membership, they can
further
reduce the environmental impact of their Flexcar use.”

Flexcar members can now save green in more ways than ever. Flexcar
recently waived application fees for new members and annual fees for
repeat users, making it easier than ever to join and renew. Flexcar
gives its members the freedom of owning a car without the cost and
hassles. Flexcar’s “point-click-drive”
system lets members have a car just when they need it, paying for it
just when they use it. Vehicles are parked in conveniently located
reserved parking spots throughout cities across the country. Members
reserve a Flexcar online or via touchtone phone, use their Flexcard
to
open the doors, take their trip, then return the car to its reserved
parking location at the end of the reservation. A typical Flexcar
rate
is $9.00 per hour or about $60.00 per day, and it includes gas,
premium
insurance, 150 free miles, maintenance, parking and 24-7 emergency
service.

The environmental by-products of car-sharing programs have been
well-documented by independent research: members reduce vehicle miles
traveled by 40 percent and each shared car removes up to 15
personally
owned vehicles from the streets (Transportation Research Board).

Flexcar’s environmentally friendly fleet
already achieves 40 percent better fuel economy than the average new
vehicle sold in the U.S. One-third of the fleet is comprised of
hybrid
vehicles, the highest in the industry. The “coolest”
fleet at Flexcar also includes MINI Coopers, Scion tCs, Mazda Miatas
and
the Lexus RX 400h luxury hybrid SUV.